Global smartphone vendors are going to run riots at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in the next few days. Almost every major vendor will have something new to showcase at the event. Not all phones are going to get the same attention. The MWC officially kicks off on February 26. But heavyweights like Samsung and HMD Global will hold their unveiling events a day before the MWC starts. Let’s check out the top five smartphones coming at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), and unsurprisingly it includes the Galaxy S9 and Nokia 9.

1- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

Samsung will unveil the next phones in the Galaxy S series on February 25 at an Unpacked event in Barcelona. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will be the biggest highlights of the MWC exhibition. There is a good chance that they will also be the most popular premium Android smartphones of this year. Samsung has teased a ‘reimagined camera’ with a super slo-mo feature, an improved low-light photography, and an Animoji-like feature.

The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would retain the design philosophy of their predecessors. The upcoming phones would have the same 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch OLED screens as last year’s models. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus would run Android Oreo with Samsung’s Experience UI on top. Leaked images suggest that the phones would feature dual stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB Type-C port, and a Bixby button.

Powering the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will be the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chips depending on the region. The Galaxy S9 Plus is rumored to pack a huge 6GB RAM, but its smaller sibling will have the same old 4GB RAM. Both the devices would include an 8MP front camera, but the S9 Plus would have better camera specs on the back. The larger Galaxy S9 Plus is said to sport a vertical dual camera setup compared to a single camera on the Galaxy S9. The fingerprint scanner has been relocated to below the camera module.

2- Nokia 9

The Nokia brand made a strong comeback under HMD Global last year. In less than one year of relaunch, it has become one of the world’s largest smartphone vendors. However, HMD Global is yet to launch a true flagship capable of competing against the flagship Galaxy S phones and the iPhone X. Nokia 9 is expected to be that phone. The Nokia 9 is rumored to come with the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, Zeiss-branded dual cameras on both front and back, 128GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, and OZO surround sound technology.

The Nokia 9 is expected to have a bezel-less design with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It would run pure Android Oreo with no bloatware. HMD Global’s launch event will be held on February 25. The Finnish company is also planning to announce many other devices at the event including Nokia 4, Nokia 7 Plus, and an Android Go-based Nokia 1 besides the Nokia 9 flagship. The Nokia phones have become particularly popular in Asian and European countries.

3- Sony Xperia XZ2

Sony is also going to embrace the bezel-less design with its upcoming flagship Xperia XZ2. The Japanese company is expected to launch the XZ2 at its February 26 event. Sony has recently been posting teasers on social media that hint at major design changes including the removal of the top and bottom bezels.

The Xperia XZ2 is rumored to feature the Snapdragon 845 SoC, Adreno 630 GPU, a Full HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, a 15-megapixel main camera, a 12MP front snapper, and Android Oreo. The rumor mill claims Sony could ditch the 3.5mm audio jack. It would have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. A teaser video posted by Sony on Twitter suggests that the Xperia XZ2 could have a curved design. According to SweDroid, it would offer a 5.7-inch display and 4GB RAM.

Sony is also expected to launch a Compact version of the Xperia XZ2. The Compact model would have a smaller display and a slightly lower price tag, though the internal specifications are expected to be the same as the premium Xperia XZ2. SweDroid claims the Xperia XZ2 would cost SEK 7,990 in Sweden while the Compact model would cost SEK 5,990. Sony is also rumored to launch a few mid-range smartphones at the MWC event.

4- LG V30S

LG Electronics has made dramatic changes to its smartphone plans. The company traditionally refreshes the LG G series at the MWC. But LG executives were not happy with the G7 prototypes because it lacked attractive selling points, which means the G7 launch has been delayed. The Korean company later said it would not launch new smartphones just for the sake of launching new phones. It would bring new devices when it has something really useful to offer.

According to the rumor mill, the company is going to launch an upgrade LG V30S at the MWC. The LG V30S would look similar to last year’s LG V30, but it would offer advanced AI features. Likely to be called Vision AI and Voice AI, the AI features would bring image recognition capabilities and voice commands to the LG V30S. The rumor mill claims the V30S would also be available in a new color and 256GB internal storage option.

5- ASUS ZenFone 5

ASUS is expected to launch a new ZenFone at the MWC 2018. The ZenFone 5 will look a lot like Apple’s iPhone X with a bezel-less design, vertical dual camera, and top cutout, according to leaked pictures. The fingerprint sensor is said to be located in the top half of the back panel. The ZenFone 5 is expected to have 6GB RAM, Snapdragon 845 processor, Android Oreo, and an 18:9 aspect ratio.

According to reliable tipster Evan Blass, the handset will have two 20-megapixel camera lenses on the back and two 16MP sensors on the front. ASUS’s MWC event is scheduled to take place on February 27th.

Other vendors such as Xiaomi and Motorola are also expected to unveil their new phones. Xiaomi may launch a new Mi Mix 2S at the trade show. Motorola is expected to unveil a G6, a G6 Plus, and a G6 Play at the MWC.

Author: Vikas ShuklaAlthough he has a background in finance and holds an MBA, Vikas Shukla is a technology reporter. He has a strong interest in gadgets, gizmos, and science. He writes regularly on these topics. - He can be contacted by email at vshukla@valuewalk.com